Workable Tips for PTE Academic Preparation 2023

If you are among students who are new to PTE or to any English proficiency tests, the preparation journey can be intimidating. However, once you know the right and workable tips to prepare for the exam, it will be easier to score well.

The following is a brief guide that will assist you in planning how much and what to prepare for the exam.

5 Essential Tips to Look for While Preparing for the PTE Exam

Know your target score

A good start for the preparation of the PTE exam is to know the minimum score you need to achieve and where you stand to be able to achieve the same.

You can go through Pearson’s ‘Scored Practice Tests’ to get a better understanding of the score you could obtain on the actual exam. In addition, the score practice test will provide you with separate scores for each section of the exam - listening, reading, speaking, and writing. This will help you in knowing the areas and skills you need to improve to score well.

If you have recently taken any other English proficiency tests like IELTS, TOEFL, etc., you can use Pearson’s scoring guide to compare their test scores with PTE Academic scores. This will show you which tests require which minimum score and how to achieve them.

Know the test format

You cannot understand the test format overnight, it will take some time to get familiar and you must be patient throughout. Therefore, after you have familiarized yourself with the structure of the PTE exam, understand its format and the types of questions to expect. It is crucial to score well and get better results in the exam.

You may ask yourself enlisted questions while you familiarize yourself with the test:

·         Understand quantity: How many sections are included in the test? What is the total number of questions?

·         Understand instructions: What are the answer types for each question of the three sections? How a response is recorded?

·         Length and timing: How long does a PTE academic last? How much time is allotted for each question type?

·         Layout: How all questions are shown on screen?

·         Question types: What questions are mandatory to answer? What skills you are judged upon? How are you given scores for each answer?

Understand how the test is scored

The entire PTE exam is machine-scored, meaning; you will be given scores through computers, where every test is marked accurately, consistently, and fairly. The cores in the PTE academic are provided from 10 to 90 showing the level of English proficiency of the student.  

How are scores provided for each question?

Scores for all the questions in the exam are based on whether they are correct, grammatical errors, fluency, formal aspects, and overall quality of the response.

Formal aspects mean the formation of your answers and their tone. For instance, have you written an essay or paragraph within the word limits or beyond it? You will get a score accordingly.

The quality of your answers is based on your abilities such as how well you speak English, pronunciation, and comprehension. This is perceived as a set of abilities known as a 'Skills Profile'.

What skills are tested in each question?

Communicative skills' questions from speaking, writing, reading, and listening sections, test your individual skills or a combination of skills. For instance, a question may test just speaking of the candidate however, it may also test reading and speaking both at the same time.

How will scores be shared with the candidate?

Your PTE exam scores are included in your Score Report as well as your Skills Profile. The score will be shared upon completion of the exam. You will find the following sections in your Score Report:

·         Overall score – as the name suggests, this is your main PTE Academic score, which can be a minimum of 10 or a maximum of 90.

·         Communicative Skills – these are the scores you get individually for each section of the exam - speaking, writing, reading, and listening. Even here, you are given a score from 10 to 90.

Conclusion

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